Story:Alto/Chapter 4
There are some plants that wanted to grow in the forest, rather than the town's fields. The forest presents unique challenges to care for them. Water and nutrients are more available, but so are pests. Everything wishes to eat at these herbs, mushrooms, vegetables, and fruit. This was Grigori's true job. And he was far more focused on it now than ever before. Kevor knew not what it was he spoke. “Making people disappear? Ha! As if I have the time. I barely have enough time to leave my work and take care of other tasks. And now I'm going into town every day to do his?” “Rare to hear you get this worked up, Grigori.” Dahlia spoke suddenly. Grigori looked up with a gasp of surprise. “M-My apologies. How… long have you been there?” Grigori wiped sweat off his brow with one arm. “Er, here. I-I suppose.” “Not very.” Dahlia shook her head, sitting down on her knees to help pick some weeds. “Just long enough to know that both of us had quite the day.” “Whatever do you mean?” Grigori looked to Dahlia, the focus of his surprise shifting. “I… saw something. No, I was shown something.” Dahlia stops and looks to Grigori. “Monsters marching into our home. Monsters, led by a bronze demon covered in scars.” Grigori's mind raced, trying to figure out how he is supposed to respond to such a vision. “This was… shown to you? By spirits?” He asked, unsure what else to say. Unease betrayed his normally calm tone. “Yes. They were scared. It's… definitely a warning.” Dahlia looked down as she spoke. “The wolf will protect us. As will Clyde and the workers.” Grigori assured. The two sat in silence. But then, something occurred in Dahlia's mind. “Let's talk to him!” “What?” Grigori was surprised again by the sudden outburst. “Let's talk to the wolf! Tell him what's about to happen!” Dahlia quickly stood up, grabbing Grigori's arm and helping him to his feet. She rushed off, holding onto him still. “W-Wait, is this really a good idea?” Grigori didn't fight the current, but he wasn't put in a relaxed state by it either. He could feel turbulence as they rapidly approached the beast's den. It wasn't a physical obstacle, or a mental one. Many people felt this way in the past. Such emotions may differ from person to person, but everyone felt its presence. Some were drawn to it, others driven away by it. The wolf’s aura permeated through the trees. Not everyone could feel this aura, but Dahlia and Grigori were in tune with the natural state of the woods that they could feel it out better than anyone else. They followed it like a compass; leading them to the guardian of the forest. The town's mines had many entrances. All in the forest. And each evening the guardian wolf picked one to be his bed. He had yet to sleep for the night. Instead a boar was being dragged to the mouth of the cave. His fangs dug deep into the leathery hide, gripping it as he brought it home. Once there he let it go, looking around for the disturbance he felt. “Who dares approach my den?” The wolf called out, looking upon a man and a woman. His black fur inside the cave made him nearly invisible, with only his eyes and teeth glowing in the dark. “I doubt you two are miners, given such plain cloth. What business do you have with me?” “O’ mighty beast, we-” “Silence your pitiful fawning.” These words came out as a growl more than speech, interrupting the woman who spoke. He did not see her following yelp of surprise as a violation of his command. “Then I'll be frank.” A welcome relief came from the man. “Dahlia has seen visions of a fearful future. We are here to ask for your help.” “Are you so bold as to assume I'd assist creatures who would as quickly bring about ruin themselves? Or do you have so little faith in me to think that I would protect my home only for what meager incentive you may have brought?” Though he put on a face of anger, the wolf was amused by the situation. His question showed forth his true feelings, humans do not do well when shown obvious masks, but they also do poorly when not taken seriously. “I presume nothing.” The man made true on his desire to speak plainly. “We simply wish to ensure that you will help us, rather than abandoning the town within this forest.” The woman again spoke nonsense. “That I have no reason to save. Eden is only this forest, not the degradation within or below.” Now the wolf's amusement was gone. “But… the demon will burn everything.” His eyes snapped to hers. “I saw it. A demon will burn it all to the ground!” “Then your prayers for help are useless!” Words again growled out, with the last transformed into a growling bark. “If he means to burn down my home, then he shall be met with only flames of hatred!” These two humans froze. Though they were the same height as him, shoulder to shoulder, the anger of his presence was enough to make them fold. Just as any other before had, when perceiving the wolf’s wrath to be greater than his physical form. But the man recovered. “This is why we came straight to you. Would it not be in our best interest to ensure that you are able to prepare for monsters approaching our home?” “This place is not your home, boy.” The wolf's words had calmed, but not his tone. “This forest is on loan to you.” “Even so, who am I to deny my home protection?” The wolf may not have paused his words; but he did cool his anger. These two humans do not deserve his wrath. Those to come from beyond do. “Now tell me of this vision.” The wolf listened to the short tale. He understood her words as fearful exaggeration. But her fears were well placed. An army was certainly headed this way, that much he believed. One that he will have to personally rout. “I understand. You must prepare those of your small village. Alto, was it?” Now his words were calm. Slow. Though just as measured as before. “Yes,” the girl answered. “Go, tell them of this dream. Tell them to ready their arms. I shall ready the forest.” The wolf spoke. The two began to wander off, but the wolf stopped one. “You.” He spoke to the man. “I have more to say to you.” Grigori turned around, walking back to the wolf. The pressure he felt before multiplied, as if he were walking into the jaws of this wolf. “What… what could you possibly have for me?” He asked, gazing into piercing blue eyes that hid a flame behind them. “Why would you wish this warning to go through?” The wolf began to walk around this strange man, blocking off any chance of retreat. “Why would I not? As I said, it is my home.” Grigori followed the wolf with his eyes, but his feet refused to respond. “Yet you do not treat it as such.” Grigori was stunned by this. The wolf could feel his confusion. “It’s true. You walk these paths as if you hadn’t laid a hand on any part of these woods. Yours is a green thumb and a silent step. So then why would you scheme against it?” Grigori was silent for a moment, taking his eyes off of the wolf. His vision went down, his arms crossed, and his mind searched for a careful answer. “You misjudge me. I love this forest, my home. It’s the people who should be concerned.” Grigori spoke, composing himself as he did so. “They take it all for granted. You, me, this beautiful place.” His eyes gazed up to the canopy. Birds chirped, unfazed by the wolf’s stalking. “They see worry and concern as things they grew up without. The outside world is nothing to them.” “You wish to teach them a parable?” The wolf’s laugh sounded akin to a hiccuping growl, barring his sharpened teeth in morbid joy. “Disguising yourself as a sycophant does not prevent your fable from being the prattling of a lunatic.” Grigori made a sharp turn on his heels to face the wolf. The two stared at each other as another voice chimed in. “Please don’t play with your food.” Grigori turned to see a second wolf behind him. This one with fur like the golden harvest soon to come. Her aura was different as well. She lacked the fury of her partner, but in its place was a haunting air. “It’s clear that his plans are doomed to fail. We should just eat him now.” “That would be a kindness. His plans succeeding would be punishment enough.” The first wolf spoke in response, walking past Grigori as if he ceased to exist. He embraced the other wolf, the two nuzzling into each other, before she spoke again. “Now run along, boy. Be thankful that he’s decided to let you live.” Grigori’s body began to walk backwards without his input. He commanded his body to stay put, but everything was telling him to run. Making him escape. “After all, if it were just me I’d have eaten you.” The wolf watched as Grigori left, finally giving into the pressure forced upon him. “What did they want to talk to you about?” Dahlia asked as Grigori returned. His nerves had returned to him after the walk back. It was no wonder to him that some people had just chosen to believe that the wolf wasn’t real and hide from it. “Just clearing up some confusion.” Grigori leaned against a tree, looking around him at the forest. “They wondered why I care about the town, when I live in the forest.” “They?” Dahlia’s question was ignored as Grigori decided against explaining the second wolf. “I see myself as a member of Alto, even if I don’t live there. I’d call that town, huddled all along its mighty tower, just as much home as the trees surrounding it.” Grigori looked over to see Dahlia giving him a light smile. “All your friends are there, right?” She asked, with Grigori only nodding. “Yet the forest has so much to teach us. And all of it’s lessons are useful, to us who know how to lend it an ear.” “I suppose that wolf would agree with you.” Grigori looked back deeper into the forest, wondering how it was they knew when Dahlia didn’t?